Senate Bill Aims to Deter Counterfeit Drug Traffickers

December 2, 2011 2:35 pm Topics: Counterfeit drugs

A bill aimed to prevent trafficking in counterfeit drugs was introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to the United States Senate on November 17, 2011. The Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act of 2011 responds to recommendations made by the US Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and the administration’s Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Inter-agency Working Group. The bill would increase penalties for trafficking counterfeit drugs, with convicted individuals facing penalties of up to $4 million and 20 years imprisonment, and up to $8 million for multiple offenses. Entities convicted of trafficking counterfeit drugs could face fines as high as $10 million for a single offense or as much as $20 million if convicted of multiple offenses. The bill (S 1886) is co-sponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and it has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

A similar bill (HR 3468) was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Patrick Meehan (R-PA) and co-sponsored by Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.